We’re probably not into a game of rock, paper, scissors to see who wins and gets to play with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. That’s us poking fun at the situation.

But with rookie winger Matt Savoie’s elevation to ride alongside 97 and 29 for the start of the Montreal Canadiens matchup Thursday, the only sure thing in all of this musical chairs is the rehabbing Zach Hyman is in no danger of losing his spot on the top Edmonton Oilers top line, even though he hasn’t played a single minute this season as he rehabs from that June wrist surgery.

Savoie, by our count, is the fifth guy to get a shot with McDavid and Draisaitl.

Trent Frederic started the season on right wing for a couple of games. Vasily Podkolzin and Andrew Mangiapane have also been on the line, and unless our memory is overly foggy we seem to remember David Tomasek getting a sniff there, as well. And now we’ll see if St. Albert’s pride and joy Savoie can stay there for awhile.

Hyman can’t return until Nov. 1 at the earliest because he was put on long-term injury, which means he has to miss 24 days and at least 10 games.

Savoie, who has done some very nice, understated offensive work with his skill set and speed, coming close in Ottawa to his first NHL goal, deserves this audition.

How long that lasts? Who knows? He’s played 8:57 with one or the other player but it’s a daunting task with 97 and 29.

Frederic and Podkolzin, who was on left wing in Ottawa, were there to provide some strong board work, digging pucks out, both strong around the net. But, that didn’t stick. Playing with McDavid and Draisaitl, who often play a game of pitch and catch in the offensive zone is required reading for the third wheel.

Mangiapane seems a good fit because he’s tenacious on pucks and has good hands in tight, but it was a good time but not a long time. He was on the second line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jack Roslovic against the Habs. Podkolzin figured out how to play with Leon for much of last season and Draisaitl loves his ability to keep plays alive, but it was just him on a line with Leon at centre, helping him score 50.

Not the tag-team of 97 and 29.

So, now we have Savoie. And hip, hip, hurray for the local kid.

“He’s got a great engine on him. With a little bit of luck, he scores one or two last game and he’s off and running,” said McDavid on Savoie’s performance against Ottawa.

Will fellow rookie Ike Howard get a shot there, too, before Hyman comes back? Maybe that’s a reach for a guy with six pro games.

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch has slow-played Howard, mainly playing him on a fourth line. He did get a brief whirl with 97 and 29 in Ottawa and buried a shot from the slot but he was only coming out of the penalty box. He hustled into open ice and, bang, Draisaitl found him with a sweet pass and he got his first NHL goal.

It wasn’t like a promotion. A snapshot chance but a glorious photo Howard will never forget.

Different story for Savoie, who has played all over.

He’s played 77.41 minutes at even strength through seven games but not this high up the ladder. He’s played more five-on-five minutes than Adam Henrique, at 75:01, though. Howard has just 58:09, albeit in six games, after a healthy scratch in New Jersey. Tomasek has 56:30 in six games, also sitting out once.

So why Savoie in the prized chair beside the big guns?

“He’s been making a lot of plays,” said Knoblauch, “and he’s been making plays because he’s moving his feet.”

“He’s very skilled and can see the ice well. But as well as you see the ice, if you’re standing still, things close in on you in a hurry. Last few games, especially in Ottawa, I see him make some plays coming off the wall. Opening up ice.”

“I wanted to change things up … nothing against Podkolzin. He’s a tremendous player who I think can give us even more playing with (Noah) Philp and Freddy (Frederic) right now. Just want to give Savvy a chance there.”

Podkolzin leverages his body to hold off people along the boards better than a whole lot of NHLers, squeezing pucks out for Draisaitl when he’s centring his own line. Frederic is strong, too, but the experiment with 97 and 29 didn’t work. Third line is where he belongs but wherever he played, he’s been pretty quiet apart from the breakaway goal against the Rangers.

“Savvy has tremendous speed. He’s one of our fastest players. He’s not afraid to get in on the forecheck and maybe he won’t win those battles as efficiently as Podkolzin, but he has the speed to get there. Plus, he’s creative and can make some extra plays. He can possibly carry more pucks into the zone in a puck-possession game,” said Knoblauch.

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL-GAME

McDavid, a big Blue Jays fan like the rest of the country as they get ready for the start of the World Series Friday in Toronto against the Dodgers, works his nightly magic with a puck but he can’t fathom hitting a baseball.

“I didn’t play a lot of baseball growing up but I have great respect for what they do,” said McDavid in a media scrum Thursday morning. “Those pitchers, the way they throw the ball is incredible. Trying to square up a round bat on a round ball coming 100 miles an hour has to be one of the hardest things to do.”

No argument from anybody who has ever been in a batting cage, trying to hit a ball squarely at 65 miles an hour, a ball out of a machine that isn’t dipping and diving.

This ‘n that: Oiler forward Kasperi Kapanen (left knee, out possibly for six weeks) is now on IR along with fellow winger Mattias Janmark. Kapanen and Janmark might go on LTIR when Hyman returns in 10 days or so. Janmark clearly had a setback (suspected lower body after being hurt in exhibitions) because there was a thought he might play on the just-concluded five-game Eastern trip. He’s now been out two weeks from the start of the season with no firm idea when he’s coming back … Hyman is chomping at the bit to play. “He’s joined our team for practices and we hope he’s back Nov. 1 (Chicago at Rogers Place). If not then, early November. Oilers play in St. Louis and Dallas Nov. 3-4,” said Knoblauch … Sherwood Park’s Kaiden Guhle, Lane Hutson’s regular D partner, isn’t on the Habs’ trip. He suffered a lower-body injury against Nashville a week ago and is out 4-6 weeks … Montreal winger Patrik Laine seems to be perpetually hurt after being very healthy in his first three NHL years in Winnipeg (only nine games missed). He missed 147 games over a four-year span from 2021-22 through 2024-25 and is currently out day-to-day, with a knee issue. He’s getting a second opinion. Is it more than a sprain? … Fort Saskatchewan’s Kirby Dach, who has missed three Canadiens games with an injury, returns for the Oilers game.